Sydney flung the door open and tried to move quickly into the hallway, but it turned out as nothing more than a slow shuffle. Luckily, the hallway appeared deserted, as did the remainder of the building, judging by the television screens that filled the wall. Each security camera appeared to have its own quarter-screen, and Sydney scanned them all. Just as Sydney began to trust Sark's word that only he was left, she saw a figure dressed in black on a screen far away to her right. Leaning against the wall to support herself, she edged down the hall until she could see the image better.

Sydney felt her breath catch in her throat.

"Vaughn," she whispered, running her palm across the screen. Fresh tears began to course down her cheeks, and for the first time in hours, not for her. His figure was sprawled on a rather wet looking hallway floor, apparently lifeless. Sydney felt her legs begin to grow weak as she slumped to the floor, her broken, bloodied body wracked with uncontrollable sobs as she began to drift out of consciousness.

Sydney, however, collapsed about five seconds too soon to see the figure from the camera begin to stir.



Vaughn forced his eyes to open as he began to cough water from his sore lungs. He was lying on a hallway floor, and tried to get a sense of his surroundings. He was wet, he was cold, and he felt bruised and sore all over. For a moment he couldn't remember where he was or how he got there. Then it all came flashing back. Sydney rounding the corner, followed by a tidal wave of water. His body being thrown violently against the door, the air crushed out of him. Sydney's terror-filled face as she valiantly tried to rescue him, only to be overtaken by guards she had never seen coming.

He pulled himself to a sitting position, ignoring the pain and stiffness in his limbs, and looked down at his watch. It was almost six hours after he and Sydney had started their mission. More than five hours after they were supposed to meet up with Jack and hopefully Will.

Vaughn pulled his cellular phone from his jacket pocket and attempted to dial, not realizing that it had been drowned just as he had been. He angrily threw the useless piece of plastic against the wall. He slowly rose and proceeded down the hallway towards the watertight door and contemplated how to get out. Obviously, trying to break the glass would not work.

His eyes scanning the wall, he took note of the electrical box to the left of the door, obviously the force behind its opening and closing. He quickly withdrew his gun and fired a round. The door sprang to life and squeaked open. Vaughn slid out, his weapon drawn, but confusingly, all hallways seemed to be deserted.

Unsure of what to do next, Vaughn made his way down the hall straight ahead, then began making a series of random turns. He came to an open door, and silently snuck inside. It appeared to be a control room of some sort, and deserted as well. There were a few security monitors to his left, but he didn't see anyone or much of anything on any of them either. He noticed a phone on the desk and quickly did the only thing he could think of -- dialed Jack Bristow.



Jack sat apprehensively on the hood of the Mercedes SUV. Will Tippin was passed out in the back seat. Jack had been content to give him just a pain killer, but after about forty-five minutes he decided to just drug him and shut him up. He preferred to agonize over where his daughter and Agent Vaughn were in silence, rather than listen to his psychotic babblings.

Despite his calm and collected exterior, he nearly jumped about ten feet when he heard his cellular phone begin to ring. He fumbled around for it in his jacket pocket, and held it to his ear.

"Bristow."

"Jack -- it's Vaughn."

"Where the hell are you?" he inquired impatiently. "Do you have any idea how long--"

"Is Sydney with you?" Vaughn interrupted.

"No. I thought she was with you! Do you mean to tell me--"

"Jack! Listen. Sydney and I lost radio contact while she was in the lab, supposedly destroying the Mueller device. I came to check on her and find out what the hell was going on, and I only got into the entry hallways to the lab in time to see Sydney come flying around a corner, followed by a torrential wave of water. I froze and she was screaming at me to run, but I was just standing there. She slammed into me, which caused my brain to begin working again and I ran behind her. The watertight doors were closing and Sydney just barely squeezed out and tried to hold the door open for me, but she couldn't. It slammed shut and I was still on the wrong side of the door. I was nearly crushed by the water, and she was trying to break the glass in the door with a fire extinguisher when guards came up behind her and she couldn't figure it out when I was trying to warn her. That's all I can remember. I just came to a few minutes ago and found a phone."

"How many guards are there? Do you have any idea where Sydney might be?" Jack inquired urgently.

"I was about to ask you the same thing. I haven't seen a single person here. Either the warehouse is now deserted and everyone has left, and they've taken Sydney with them, or this is some kind of elaborate trap. Or maybe she escaped on her own, but I doubt that she would've gone this long without contacting you if that was the case." Vaughn pondered aloud.

"I'm coming down there." Jack told him. Vaughn heard the distinct sound of a car engine firing up and peeling out of wherever he may have been. He also heard what sounded like a faint moan.

"Wait a minute...Will. Is that Will? Is he okay?"

"I think he'll survive, although I believe he's had the joy of having some teeth extracted by Sydney's friend from the last time she was here."

"Jack, I'm going to keep looking around. If Sydney's here, I'll find her."

"Please do. Vaughn...I don't know what I'd do without her."

"Me either."

The pair of men held the phones up to the ears, but no one said a word.